Knowing full well how powerful he was, yet acting so recklessly—he really must have been out of his mind.

Penelope added casually, as if in passing,
“And besides, there are people watching.”

“The real reason is the latter.”

What a shameless hypocrite. Ahwin muttered under his breath.

Penelope considered pointing out that his ‘muttering’ was far too clear to be a proper monologue, but she let it slide.

“I’d like to add orange and rose scents to the soap. Let’s start with those two types for now. I also want something with a sweet fragrance, but we can develop that later.”

“You want to add scent to the current product right away? No matter how impatient I am, even I wouldn’t go that far. We should at least confirm the effects of the green herb first.”

“Isn’t it obvious just by looking at it? Don’t you think so?”

Whether it was because of the alchemy buff or not, the maids’ faces had noticeably become more hydrated and brighter after just one wash.

When it comes to beauty products, the stronger the initial effect, the better the advertising.

Naturally, word of mouth would spread, and the product would sell like hotcakes—it was as clear as day.

“I think this will be a much better business item than I originally thought.”

“I’m sure it will.”

Ahwin replied indifferently. Penelope said,
“You’re far more capable than I expected.”

“That goes without saying.”

Ahwin replied with a smirk. Oddly enough, Penelope’s compliment felt surprisingly pleasant.

Penelope asked her next question,
“How long will it take to make the orange soap?”

“…To get the orange scent, you’ll need orange essential oil. That’s made by melting orange peels.”

“Oh, I see.”

So, orange peels were necessary this time.

Penelope faintly furrowed her brows.

Ahwin then suggested,
“If you’re planning to produce the soap in large quantities, wouldn’t it be better to buy ready-made essential oils? Making it from scratch would be a waste of time.”

“Oh, that’s a good idea. I’ll need to meet with a merchant again.”

Penelope quickly organized her thoughts and turned around.

Ahwin sullenly watched her retreating figure with narrowed eyes.

‘She looks so young, but she’s really too obsessed with money, isn’t she?’

Ahwin himself often got lost in his work, but Penelope seemed to take it to an even greater extreme.

It bothered him somehow.

‘She looked kind of cute when she was frightened in my lab.’

When Penelope had turned pale white and flinched in fear, Ahwin had been genuinely surprised.

He thought she was completely fearless, but seeing her so terrified in front of the portal had been unexpected.

‘I should’ve teased her more back then.’

But soon after, Penelope regained her nerve as if nothing had happened, throwing around her sharp-tongued remarks in her usual clear and confident tone.

He’d been so dumbfounded at the time, it felt like the world had turned upside down. He was even curious to see how her brain was wired.

‘It’s only because I’m so patient.’

Ahwin shook his head with a sigh, once again marveling at how generous he was.

***

Luckily, Penelope was able to meet Pablo that very day.

He had come to deliver an additional order of food supplies for the estate.

Even if it weren’t for the delivery, Pablo would have stopped by Halo Territory anyway. For some reason, there was a strong scent of money in the air around here.

Penelope wasted no time and got straight to the point.

“I need orange and rose essential oils.”

“Essential oils, you say? Are you planning to make perfume? If you need, I can also procure other ingredients. Jasmine and lavender are quite popular these days.”

Pablo answered earnestly, assuming Penelope had started a new hobby.

Penelope stared at him for a moment before speaking.

“I plan to use the essential oils to make soap. I’ll order jasmine and lavender later.”

Pablo was stunned.

“Soap…?”

He remembered that last time she had purchased soap-making materials in bulk.

A thought struck him, and Pablo gulped dryly.

“Could it be that you’re planning to make orange-scented and rose-scented soap?”

“Hmm, that’s right.”

“…!”

Pablo’s eyes widened. Orange and rose-scented soap?!

He nearly let out a shocked sound.

Pablo scrambled to collect his thoughts.

‘Calm down. Calm down… A merchant like me can’t afford to show surprise over something like this.’

He quickly began calculating the market value of orange and rose-scented soap.

‘Nobles already enjoy using scented oils, and for commoners, soap itself is considered expensive. Is there real value in this? More importantly, how did she come up with such an idea?’

“P-pardon me, but may I ask what kind of effects the soap will have?”

“For now, it will simply smell better. Other effects will have to be tested.”

Orange peels are effective for pigmentation and anti-aging, while rose oil is good for relieving tension and even has the ability to attract the opposite sex.

However, Penelope deliberately chose not to share these details with Pablo. She still didn’t trust him completely.

“When can you have the goods ready?”

“It will take about a week—no, around four days.”

“The steward will handle the payment. I’ll leave it to you, then.”

“Of course, you can count on me.”

Pablo replied with a gleam in his eyes, his mind already racing with excitement.

His dormant merchant’s instincts were speaking to him.

This territory was definitely going to be profitable.

Before long, Pablo quietly sidled up to the steward and spoke to him in a hushed tone.

“It seems the Baroness of Halo is managing the estate in place of the late lord.”

“That’s not something a merchant like you needs to concern yourself with. Just focus on delivering the goods.”

The steward curtly cut Pablo off. But Pablo wasn’t the type to back down easily.

“Of course. As a sign of goodwill towards the acting lord, I’d like to offer her a gift. Do you think the Madam would like silver fox fur?”

“Silver fox fur? That’s something even the northern regions have difficulty obtaining.”

The steward’s face, which had been cold and dismissive, turned to one of surprise. Pablo grinned.

“It seems like it would be the perfect gift to win the favor of my new client.”

***

Two weeks flew by in the blink of an eye.

During that time, the maids had seen remarkable results from using the green herb soap.

Not only had their skin texture improved and their complexions brightened, but blemishes and acne scars had also begun to fade.

It was quite an astonishing result.

“Madam, would it be possible to get just one more of the herbal soaps? My daughter keeps pestering me every time she sees me…”

“I’d like to ask for just one more, if that’s all right.”

“May I also make the same request?”

Penelope replied to the maids,
“We’re going to start mass-producing the soap in the territory soon. Could you tell them to wait just a little longer?”

“Ah! I see. That’s wonderful news.”

The maids beamed with delight. Penelope gave them a small nod and turned her attention to the documents on her desk.

The steward had carefully prepared the document after much consideration.

Penelope reviewed the papers thoroughly from start to finish, circling the final budget section.

Approximately 8,000 gold.

It was a much lower estimate than she had expected.

Pablo was more capable than she had anticipated. Somehow, he had managed to secure the soap materials far below the market price, breaking into the supply chain with surprising efficiency.

This meant the budget could be set at such a low cost because they were purchasing the raw materials cheaply.

‘Most of the expenses, aside from material costs, will go to labor.’

The communal hall would be the perfect place to produce the soap. If that didn’t work out, the lord’s castle or even the chapel could be used.

The workers would be recruited from the territory. Penelope intended to create jobs for the people of Halo during the long winter months.

As long as the business turned a profit, the labor costs could easily be covered by the total revenue.

‘Good. This is an excellent start.’

Penelope hummed a little tune inwardly.

As the first business venture launched from the territory, it was an ideal choice.

At that moment, the office door swung open, and someone barged in.

Penelope didn’t even need to look to know who it was.

Ahwin, the uninvited intruder, announced loudly,
“The lazy dwarves have finally started earning their keep!”

“Does that mean they’ve made the boiler and the hot water pipes?”

“It means they’ve gotten halfway there. The hot water pipes will take a little more time. But that won’t be long either—we’ve found the perfect material for the pipes.”

He sounded unusually excited, as if he couldn’t sit still.

The fact that the dwarves had delivered results in just two weeks clearly had him thrilled. For a moment, he even looked like an oversized puppy that had just been given a treat.